1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing method, information processing apparatus, information processing program executed by the information processing apparatus, and storage medium storing the program, for use in an information processing system which consists of a host capable of creating print data using fetched print style information and output device connected to the host and capable of performing processing requested by the host.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, information processing systems of this type use a box print function. The box print function works as follows.
The user creates print data using a printer driver, etc. on a host such as the one shown in FIG. 5 and outputs (stores) the created data to a storage called a box on an apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the printer) shown in FIG. 5. There can be two or more such boxes, which are allocated to individuals, departments, or the like according to their application or use. For example, “Job-1,” “Job-2,” and “Job-3,” in FIG. 15 show how the user wants to store jobs in a box allocated to him/her. By selecting a stored print job by a desired method (by an instruction from a printer panel, an instruction from host utility, or the like) at a desired time and printing it on paper, the user obtains an output such as the one shown in FIG. 13.
Such a print box function offers high convenience and working efficiency as described below.
Specifically, the print box function allows more than one item of print data stored by the user to be output in batches, eliminating the need to fetch each outputted job. Also, it prevents an output from being mixed with other users' outputs when a printer is shared by multiple users. Moreover, it allows stored print data to be reused at high speed.
However, the print box function in conventional systems has the following disadvantage.
Specifically, when print data stored by the user is output in batches, the conventional print box function provides poor alignment and viewability if different jobs have different print styles as shown in FIG. 13. This disadvantage is especially notable if multiple users store print data in a common box for a department. To unify print styles, printing must be performed from the host again, which lowers working efficiency.
On the other hand, there is an approach that involves registering print style items using a printer driver to unify the style of print jobs received from a host and stored in a box. However, if a single user has two or more hosts and stores print jobs from them in a box, he/she must register print style items for each host manually, for example, using a mouse. The same is true if a system administrator manages two or more hosts. Besides, to change any print style item once registered (for example, to change from simplex printing to duplex printing), the user must make modifications for every host manually, for example, using a mouse. This lowers working efficiency. Furthermore, when a single host is used by two or more users, it is troublesome and inconvenient to manage the print styles registered. Specifically, if a user wants to create jobs in a unified print style on a host located remotely from a printer and store them in a box, once default print style settings on the host are changed, the user is forced to perform a troublesome task of remembering any previous print style settings he/she wants to restore.
The present invention has been made in view of the problems with the prior art described above. One of its objects is to provide an information processing method and information processing apparatus which provide improved alignment and viewability of printed matter and allow print jobs to be stored and output always in the same print style, resulting in improved working efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a program intended to control the information processing method of the present invention and executable by a computer as well as a storage medium storing the program in a computer-readable format.